23-year-old, MacKenzie Isaac has been awarded the prestigious Rhodes scholarship to study for a doctorate degree at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Isaac, from Indianapolis obtained her bachelors degree at that University of Notre Dame where she majored in Sociology and minored in Latino Studies and Data Science. She was named the member of the Rhodes Trust Scholar Class of 2022.
She is one of 32 Rhodes Scholars selected from a pool of 826 candidates in 2022. Isaac shared her achievement on her LinkedIn stating that she is grateful to Rhodes Trust for investing in the work and communities that are dear to her.
During her undergraduate studies, Isaac was a Kellogg International Scholar, a Building Bridges mentee, an Edward W. Devine Merit Scholar and a nominee for the Truman Scholarship.Â
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Upon graduation from University of Notre Dame, she proceeded to Columbia University Teachers College in New York where she earned a masters degree in Health Education.
According to the university’s website, she is interested in factors such as racism and discrimination that contribute to chronic disease in communities of color, and in promoting holistic well-being for people of color.
She created the delivery and evaluation of health education curricula that take into account the importance of cultural competency and social justice.
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In addition to her studies at Columbia University, Isaac oversees projects at the intersection of urban planning, community organization and health promotion at Health by Design, where she previously served as an apprentice.
She also serves as director of volunteer engagement where she assists with the creation of an emotional abuse prevention curriculum for the organization’s global network of youth and young adult peer educator.
Isaac said she is the product of a Beloved Community that challenges her to keep growing, listening, questioning, fighting, and dreaming. Ahw said challenges have thrown her into paths that she never thought she would see but her steps have been directed by countless people.
She thanked her ancestors for rooting their lives in faith, hope, and love despite everything that was against there existence so that she could exist. Isaac also thanked her parents for cultivating a loving environment for her and her siblings where she felt supported and embraced.
She expressed her gratitude to the University of Notre Dame and Columbia University Teachers College for contributig to her academic journey.
Isaac said through them, she gained clarity, the ability to self-advocate, and educational experiences that she promise to never take for granted. She also thanked her families, friends, and mentors gained over the years through church ministry, research, and nonprofit advocacy.
She said she is grateful for moments that affirmed her worth, pushed her to stay true to boundaries, forced her to relinquish control in uncertainty, and reminded her to give herself grace in imperfection.
With the Rhodes Scholarship, Isaac plans to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy in population health and she hopes to work in the area of community health education.
Isaac also added that she will advocate for programs and curricula that thoughtfully capture community narratives and resolutely push marginalized narratives toward the center of focus, with the ultimate goal of health care justice.
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